Jenna Ortega in talks to join Tim Burton’s ‘Beetlejuice 2’

Jenna Ortega attends the world premiere of ‘Scream VI’ at AMC Lincoln Square, New York, on March 6, 2023
| Photo Credit: Evan Agostini

Wednesday star Jenna Ortega is in negotiations to join the cast of filmmaker Tim Burton’s upcoming second film in Beetlejuice franchise.

According to Variety, Ortega is in talks to play the daughter of Lydia Deetz, portrayed by Winona Ryder in the 1998 original film.

If the deal is finalised, the project will mark the actor’s second collaboration with Burton, who was an executive producer on Netflix series Wednesday and directed four of its eight episodes.

Beetlejuice 2 will see Michael Keaton reprise his role as the title character.

The original Beetlejuice revolves around Charles (Jeffrey Jones), Delia (Catherine O’Hara) and Lydia Deetz (Ryder), who inhabit a home previously occupied by the Maitlands (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis). The Maitlands died in a car accident, but their ghost selves want to re-inhabit their former house, recruiting Beetlejuice (Keaton), a “bio-exorcist,” to scare away the Deetzes.

The sequel has been in the works at Warner Bros. for some time. Hollywood star Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B boarded the project in February last year.